Stillman baseball looking to replace departed stars

The Stillman College baseball team is off to a 5-5 start to the 2013 season after its 5-3 victory over Shorter College on Wednesday.

By Marquavius BurnettSpecial to The Tuscaloosa News

TUSCALOOSA | The Stillman College baseball team is off to a 5-5 start to the 2013 season after its 5-3 victory over Shorter College on Wednesday.

Shortstop Kameron McCreless went 3-for-4 and scored a run in the Tigers’ victory.

After finishing 2012 with a 32-18 record, including 21-0 in conference play, the Tigers have struggled in 2013. The defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions opened with a three-game sweep against Loyola-New Orleans. The Tigers defeated the Wolfpack by scores of 6-0, 6-4 and 9-8.

That weekend, Trent Posey went 4-for-7 with three runs scored, while Dustin Dun scored four runs. McCreless, Ken Perkey and Fernando Tanaka each had four runs batted in against the Wolfpack.

On the mound, Dawson Tuberville had 12 strikeouts, while Tyler Vails had four, with both earning wins.

Since opening weekend, the Tigers have stumbled. After its run in 2012, Stillman has had to replace a lot of talent.

The Tigers had to replace seniors Jarius Brown and Dion Bryant. Brown was the 2012 SIAC Player of the Year and made the American Baseball Coaches Associaition All-South Region first team while also receiving honorable mention on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association all-region team. Brown ranked second in the SIAC with 78 hits, 62 runs batted in, 57 runs scored and seven home runs. He ranked third in the conference with a .404 batting average, seventh with a .570 slugging percentage and fifth with a .489 on-base percentage.

Bryant also made the ABCA first team with a .357 batting average and a .432 slugging percentage. Bryant led the SIAC with 61 runs and ranked third with 76 hits, including one home run and 38 runs batted in. The 6-foot outfielder also ranked third with 36 stolen bases.

But there have been some bright spots for the Tigers. Outfielder Perkey was the SIAC baseball West Division Player of the Week and Vails was the SIAC West Division Pitcher of the Week last week.

Perkey was honored after posting a .313 batting average and .438 slugging percentage. He scored two runs and had four RBIs. Vails went 1-1 and pitched a complete game in 13 innings. Vails struck out 14 and walked two in his two starts.

McCreless is this week’s West Player of the Week after going 5-for-10 with four runs and an RBI last week.